Patents Examined by Que Tan Le
  • Patent number: 11313796
    Abstract: An optical waveguide (10) includes a substrate (15), a core layer (11) that extends along the longitudinal direction and through which infrared light IR can propagate, and a support (17) formed from a material with a smaller refractive index than the core layer (11) and configured to connect at least a portion of the substrate (15) and at least a portion of the core layer (11) to support the core layer with respect to the substrate (15). A connecting portion (171) of the support (17) connected to the core layer (11) is shifted from the position having the shortest distance from the center to the outer surface in a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the core layer (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Asahi Kasei Microdevices Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiro Sakamoto, Tatsushi Yagi
  • Patent number: 11307087
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to optoelectronic modules with substantially temperature-independent performance characteristics and host devices into which such optoelectronic modules can be integrated. In some instances, an optoelectronic module can collect proximity data using light-generating components and light-sensitive components that exhibit temperature-dependent performance characteristics. The light-generating components and light-sensitive components can be configured such that they exhibit complementing temperature-dependent performance characteristics such that the operating performance of the optoelectronic module is substantially temperature independent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: ams Sensors Singapore Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Jens Geiger
  • Patent number: 11307088
    Abstract: An optical tomography imaging system includes a signal generator, at least one light emitter, at least one light receiver, a signal processor, and an image processor. The signal generator is configured to generate a periodic signal and a reference signal. The light emitter is configured to be activated by the periodic signal to generate an optical signal passing through an object under test. The light receiver is configured to receive and convert the optical signal passing through the object under test into an electrical signal. The signal processor is configured to generate a comparison signal according to the electrical signal and the reference signal. The image processor is configured to acquire a plurality of disassembled sine waves from the comparison signal and generate a reconstructed image according to the disassembled sine waves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignees: National Central University
    Inventors: Min-Chun Pan, Ya-Fen Hsu, Yan-Yang Hsu
  • Patent number: 11307084
    Abstract: An optoelectronic sensor having a reception element and at least one reception lens and an optical filter element, wherein the filter element is arranged without a gap between a first part lens and a second part lens, wherein the part lenses form one of the reception lenses or the reception lens, and wherein the optical filter element has at least one convex or concave shape and received light beams pass through the filter element at the same angle at every entry point or an optoelectronic sensor having a reception element and a reception lens and an optical filter element that is arranged between the reception element and the reception lens, wherein the optical filter element has at least one curved free-form surface so that the received light beams pass through the filter element at the surface of the optical filter element at the same angle at every entry point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: SICK AG
    Inventor: Ralf Ulrich NĂ¼bling
  • Patent number: 11302725
    Abstract: An image sensor for securing an area of a photodiode includes a pixel area and a transistor area adjacent to the pixel area. The pixel area may include a photodiode and a floating diffusion area. The transistor area may include transistors extending along an edge of the pixel area. The transistors in the transistor area may include a reset transistor, one or more source follower transistors, and one or more selection transistors, and the reset transistor and one source follower transistor adjacent to the reset transistor may share a common drain area. The source follower transistors and the selection transistors may each share a common source area or a common drain area between two adjacent transistors thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jonghyun Go, Jae-Kyu Lee
  • Patent number: 11300502
    Abstract: A time-wavelength optical sampling system may be configured to determine a substance's composition based on variations in optical pulses caused by the substance's absorption of wavelengths of the pulse. A dispersion medium may disperse pulses to form stretched signal pulses that are incident on a substance under test. Optical gating is used to overlap each signal pulse with a portion of a reference pulse to generate a cross-correlation signal corresponding to a portion of the signal pulse, which may be detected by a slow detection speed detector. A controller controls delay introduced to the reference pulses so that different wavelength ranges are sampled for various signal pulses, thereby enabling the entire wavelength range for the signal pulses to be sampled over time without requiring an expensive high-speed optical detector. By analyzing absorption across the entire wavelength range as indicated by cross-correlation signals, the composition of the substance can be identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama, for and on behalf of the University of Alabama in Huntsville
    Inventors: Lingze Duan, Lin Yang
  • Patent number: 11300326
    Abstract: A solar tracker system comprising a plurality of on sun trackers and a plurality of off sun tracker. Each tracker is selectively adjusted to achieve a desired power output of the solar power plant system in an example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: NEXTRACKER INC.
    Inventors: Yu Dong Ma, Yang Liu, Francesco Borrelli, Allan Daly, Ricardo Delgado-Nanez, Alexander W. Au
  • Patent number: 11296134
    Abstract: An image sensor includes a substrate including a sensor array area, a pad area, and a circuit area, a wiring layer on the pad area, and a light-shielding pattern on the sensor array area. The sensor array area includes a first area including active pixels and a second area including optical back pixels. The wiring layer is apart from the substrate by a first distance on the pad area. The light-shielding pattern includes a first portion spaced apart from the substrate by a second distance less than the first distance, a second portion disposed between the first portion and the wiring layer and extending on the same level as the wiring layer, and a third portion disposed between the first portion and the second portion and integrally formed with the first portion and the second portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Inventors: Yu-jin Ahn, Jong-cheol Shin, Min-ji Jung
  • Patent number: 11296137
    Abstract: A photodetector device includes a semiconductor material layer and at least one photodiode in the semiconductor material layer. The at least one photodiode is configured to be biased beyond a breakdown voltage thereof to generate respective electrical signals responsive to detection of incident photons. The respective electrical signals are independent of an optical power of the incident photons. A textured region is coupled to the semiconductor material layer and includes optical structures positioned to interact with the incident photons in the detection thereof by the at least one photodiode. Two or more photodiodes may define a pixel of the photodetector device, and the optical structures may be configured to direct the incident photons to any of the two or more photodiodes of the pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Inventor: Hod Finkelstein
  • Patent number: 11293799
    Abstract: A sensing device includes an aperture structure having an aperture and imaging optics configured to direct polychromatic light toward the aperture. The imaging optics separates the light according to spectral range longitudinally along a first axis The aperture substantially transmits a spectral range of the light and substantially blocks other spectral ranges of the light. An optical detector is arranged to receive the spectral range of the light that is transmitted through the aperture. The optical detector generate an electrical output that corresponds to a centroid of the spectral range of the light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: Peter Kiesel, Philipp Schmaelzle, Konrad Bellmann, Markus Beck
  • Patent number: 11294033
    Abstract: A device includes a circuitry which has an image sensor with a plurality of pixels, wherein the circuitry obtains a differential mode for a quad of each pixel from the plurality of pixels of the image sensor, being representative of a depth information; obtains a first input based on a common mode signal for the quad of the pixel, being representative of an intensity of ambient light; obtains a second input being representative of a background light rejection ratio of the pixel; and estimates a phase for the pixel from the plurality of pixels of the image sensor based on the differential mode, the first input and the second input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Serge Hustin, Jeroen Hermans, Gunter Troll
  • Patent number: 11290621
    Abstract: Sensor housings, modules, and luminaires comprising the same are provided. The sensor housings and modules set forth herein have improved heat sinking abilities for dissipating heat from a sensor while simultaneously facilitating thermal isolation of the sensor. Briefly, a sensor housing described herein comprises a cavity for housing a sensor and a heat sink. The heat sink is configured to dissipate heat from the sensor housing and thermally isolate the sensor housing from other heat generating components, such as other portions of a luminaire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: IDEAL INDUSTRIES LIGHTING LLC
    Inventors: Mark Youmans, Hormoz Benjamin, Theodore Lowes
  • Patent number: 11287515
    Abstract: A light ranging system including a shaft; a first circuit board assembly that includes a stator assembly comprising a plurality of stator elements arranged about the shaft on a surface of the first circuit board assembly; a second circuit board assembly rotationally coupled to the shaft, wherein the second circuit board assembly includes a rotor assembly comprising a plurality of rotor elements arranged about the shaft on a surface of the second circuit board assembly such that the plurality of rotor elements are aligned with and spaced apart from the plurality of stator elements; a stator driver circuit disposed on either the second or the first circuit board assemblies and configured to provide a drive signal to the plurality of stator elements, thereby imparting an electromagnetic force on the plurality of rotor elements to drive a rotation of the second circuit board assembly about the shaft; and a light ranging device mechanically coupled to the second circuit board assembly such that the light ranging d
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Ouster, Inc.
    Inventors: Angus Pacala, Mark Frichtl, Marvin Shu, Eric Younge
  • Patent number: 11280873
    Abstract: The sunlight sensing apparatus includes a sensor portion which includes a first sensor sensing sunlight in a first direction and a second sensor sensing the sunlight in a second direction for altitude adjustment and includes a third sensor sensing the sunlight in a third direction and a fourth sensor sensing the sunlight in a fourth direction for horizontal rotation, in which the first sensor, the second sensor, the third sensor, and the fourth sensor are formed of the solar cells, a power supply portion which charges sensor power formed at the first sensor, the second sensor, the third sensor, and the fourth sensor through a photoelectric effect caused by the sunlight, and a control portion which performs a control operation for transmitting sensing signals. Here, the control portion is driven by the sensor power charged by the power supply portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignees: SUNG CHANG CO.,LTD., SUNGCHANG ENERGY LAB
    Inventor: Jae Jin Lee
  • Patent number: 11280888
    Abstract: An optical signal detection system includes a plurality of photodetectors configured to detect optical signals reflected from an environment surrounding the optical signal detection system and convert the optical signals into electrical signals. The optical signal detection system also includes an amplifier coupled to the plurality of photodetectors. The amplifier is shared by the plurality of photodetectors and configured to generate an output signal by amplifying an individual electrical signal converted by a corresponding photodetector. The optical signal detection system further includes a multiplexing circuit configured to selectively establish a connection between one of the plurality of photodetectors and the amplifier to amply the electrical signal converted by that photodetector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: BEIJING VOYAGER TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Vipul Chawla, Yue Lu, Lingkai Kong
  • Patent number: 11280522
    Abstract: A solar tracker system comprising a plurality of on sun trackers and a plurality of off sun tracker. Each tracker is selectively adjusted to achieve a desired power output of the solar power plant system in an example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: NEXTracker Inc.
    Inventors: Yu Dong Ma, Yang Liu, Francesco Borrelli, Allan Daly, Ricardo Delgado-Nanez, Alexander W. Au
  • Patent number: 11282971
    Abstract: A method for controlling an avalanche photo diode (APD) and a device that includes a high gain stable APD. The device may include an APD, a compensation circuit that comprises a compensation component that is thermally coupled to the APD, a temperature control module having a part that is thermally coupled to the compensation component and to the APD, and one or more additional components. The APD is formed within a first semiconductor epitaxial layer that is grown on a first side of a substrate, the substrate is highly thermally conductive and electrically insulating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials Israel Ltd.
    Inventor: Pavel Margulis
  • Patent number: 11282891
    Abstract: A CMOS imaging system with increased charge storage of pixels yet decreased physical size, kTC noise and active area. A storage node is connected to the transfer gate and provides a storage node for a pixel, allowing for kTC noise reduction prior to readout. The pixel may be operated with the shutter gate on during the integration period to increase the amount of time for charge storage by a pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Peter P. Altice, Jr., Jeffery A. McKee
  • Patent number: 11274961
    Abstract: An ultraviolet ray detecting device is provided. The ultraviolet ray detecting device comprises: a substrate; a buffer layer disposed on the substrate; a light absorption layer disposed on the buffer layer; a capping layer disposed on the light absorption layer; and a Schottky layer disposed on a partial region of the capping layer, wherein the capping layer has an energy bandgap larger than that of the light absorption layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: SEOUL VIOSYS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ki Yon Park, Soo Hyun Lee, Choong Min Lee, Gun Woo Han
  • Patent number: 11276986
    Abstract: Techniques are provided to reduce the form factor of laser-based systems by multi-purposing a photodiode used to help control the output of a laser. A reflective photodiode comprises a light receiving surface and a reflective coating. The light receiving surface is configured to absorb some incident light and to convert it into electrical current. The reflective coating is disposed on the light receiving surface and is configured to reflect some of the incident light away from the light receiving surface. The reflective coating also permits some of the incoming light to pass therethrough for absorption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGLY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Raymond Kirk Price, Rachel N. Ulanch, Joshua Owen Miller